Jon McElwain
11-21-2010, 3:20 PM
I had a great day at the Denver Woodworking Show at the Denver Merchandise Mart. Several clubs were there along with the regular tool salesmen.
Two highlights for me were the demonstration from the Chadwick School of Woodworking (he gave a detailed demonstration on his chair building techniques), and the Craft Supplies booth. Craft supplies brought 5 or 6 mini lathes and had a free pen turning demo for show-goers. You got to pick your blank, pre-drilled and sleeve already inserted and glued, and turn your own pen! They had cocobolo, holly, purpleheart, walnut, and more to choose from.
There was an instructor at each lathe who gave a mini turning lesson while you made your pen. Now, while I have been turning for a while, I have never turned a pen so I went ahead and signed up. I patiently waited while my instructor took me through the basics of the lathe this is the head stock, switch, and this is what we call the tool rest :D. Then of course the ABC's, move the tool with your body, steady the tool on your hip etc...
Anyway, great time at the show, Craft Supplies is of course trying to get more people interested in the craft so that they can sell more tools and materials, but still, it was nice to be at a show like that and come home with something made!
Oh, and the best part was that my wife watched the kids all day so that I could go. So when I presented her with a new hand made pen, she beamed!
Two highlights for me were the demonstration from the Chadwick School of Woodworking (he gave a detailed demonstration on his chair building techniques), and the Craft Supplies booth. Craft supplies brought 5 or 6 mini lathes and had a free pen turning demo for show-goers. You got to pick your blank, pre-drilled and sleeve already inserted and glued, and turn your own pen! They had cocobolo, holly, purpleheart, walnut, and more to choose from.
There was an instructor at each lathe who gave a mini turning lesson while you made your pen. Now, while I have been turning for a while, I have never turned a pen so I went ahead and signed up. I patiently waited while my instructor took me through the basics of the lathe this is the head stock, switch, and this is what we call the tool rest :D. Then of course the ABC's, move the tool with your body, steady the tool on your hip etc...
Anyway, great time at the show, Craft Supplies is of course trying to get more people interested in the craft so that they can sell more tools and materials, but still, it was nice to be at a show like that and come home with something made!
Oh, and the best part was that my wife watched the kids all day so that I could go. So when I presented her with a new hand made pen, she beamed!